The invention relates to a method and apparatus for semi-automatically handling and cooking a multiplicity of individual food items and more particularly, a system and apparatus that dispenses each food item onto a cooking surface for cooking the food item a controlled, selectable time and removal of the cooked food item. The system provides an industrial process technique applied to the handling and processing of food items on a commercial mode. The system provides selectable variation in the type of grill surface, variation in cooking time of each individual item, and variation in handling means to suit each type of food item. The system is computer controlled under limited direction of an operator and under limited direction of a consumer.
Preparation of multiple similar food items is a labor intensive process involving the preparation of the individual food items, the cooking of each food item and the presentation and serving of each food item to the consumer. With the currently rising labor costs it has become advantageous to automate the process. The present invention focuses on the automation of the cooking process whereby operator intervention in the cooking process is eliminated. The prior art shows several attempts to automate the preparation process.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,027 issued Jun. 17, 1969 to A. Lohr, et. al. discloses a device having an elliptical annular heated cooking grill with a plurality of pusher bars for moving the food items along the surface of the grill. A turning station approximately half way through the cooking path inverts the food items allowing cooking on the second side thereof. While the Lohr apparatus does reduce the labor required to cook numerous identical food items, the cooking time cannot be altered for an individual food item or group of food items. The degree of "doneness" can be altered only by controlling the heat of the grill and the speed of the pusher bars. Thus, where a large number of food items are to be prepared identically, the apparatus will perform fairly well. However, where a mixture of food items or identical food items are to be cooked differently, the apparatus will require sufficient operator intervention to obviate its benefits. It is also noted that an operator must place each food item on the Lohr grill and remove the cooked food items from a collection receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,514 issued Aug. 24, 1982 to Fred Morley discloses heated rotating grill for pressing and cooking hamburger patties. The Morley invention is drawn toward the inclined plane apparatus for pressing balls or clumps of hamburger into patties responsive to the rotation of the grill. Again, Morley does not provide for alteration of the cooking of an individual food item, and the operator must intervene to place the hamburger onto the grill, turn the patties, and remove the patties.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,495 issued Jul. 21, 1953 to E. Dornbush discloses an angled rotating grill for cooking a multiplicity of individual food items. The Dornbush grill, again, does not allow for the alteration of cooking of an individual food item within a group of food items. Further, an operator must place the individual food items on the grill, turn the food items, and collect the food items from the receiving pan.
The prior art is deficient in two areas, first, each of the prior art devices requires some operator intervention. Second, none of the prior art devices can alter the cooking of an individual food item or group of food items responsive to the consumer's request.